The Resy Guide to Summer Cocktails in Miami

From the masterminds behind Breaker & Gray, this bar embraces retro vintage vibes while creating contemporary twists on classic cocktails. It recently reopened with droll new drinks like the Vaxxxed & Waxxxed, their take on a Naked & Famous, with Tequila, mezcal, Chinola passionfruit liqueur and habañero chocolate bitters. If you want to take it up a notch, order one of the towers that come to your table, in either two or three tiers, bursting with beer ponies, cocktails and boozy shots. 

While Miami Beach may be known for over-the-top indulgences, this bar’s laid-back attitude is a welcome change. Plus it’s serving up a slew of original drinks that will lure you back, again and again, to try them all. One of its signatures is the bar’s version of the classic piña colada. Created by the late award-winning cocktail tastemaker John Lermayer, it’s made with a three-rum blend (coconut rum, white rum and dark rum), pineapple juice, coconut cream, coffee beans, and topped off with a Pedro Ximenez sherry float.

The secluded space in the heart of Wynwood welcomes you in, away from the street’s commotion, and into an airy courtyard with a towering bar and plenty of seating. Here you’ll find an array of choices including draft cocktails, house classics and frozen drinks. If you’re with a few friends, check out the large-format cocktails, which are served in a dazzling disco ball or pink flamingo.

Serving up a plant-based menu that doesn’t skimp on flavor, this healthy-eats restaurant also has a stellar cocktail list that will make you feel almost wholesome for ordering another round. Get your antioxidants in with a kombucha mojito, made with rum, berries, mint, lime, agave and berry kombucha. 

This hot Japanese restaurant, with its sushi omakase counter, is the second Major Food Group restaurant to recently open in Miami. Some of the drinks here will be recognizable, like the margarita and Bloody Mary, but even they have something that sets them apart. The margarita is made with matcha and jalapeño, while you can look forward to wasabi kizami and soy sauce in your Bloody Mary. For a refreshing choice, try the Asian Pear, with pear eau de vie, fresh pear, lemon and Champagne.

Before the pandemic, this haunt was the place for downtown cocktails. As a way of pivoting, the pop-up Sunny’s Someday Steakhouse was opened with an expansive outdoor courtyard and open-fire kitchen just a few miles north. In keeping with the chophouse theme, the cocktails here are a balance between traditional — like the classic martini and classic Manhattan — and unique takes, like a fino martini with gin, clarified passionfruit and fino sherry.

Unsurprisingly, gin and tonics reign supreme at this transportive Spanish hotspot. While you can always order a classic, there’s a variety of riffs to try on the menu depending on what gin you prefer. Try the Bombay Sapphire with hibiscus flower and lemon zest, the Tanqueray with cilantro and dehydrated orange, or the Plymouth with strawberry and black pepper. There’s no wrong way to G&T here. 

This ever-changing menu features a cocktail of the day and a rotating list of new drinks alongside classics, and even a few non-alcoholic refreshments that will make you take a second sip just to make sure it’s spirit-free. For tequila lovers, try the Lavagave made with Tequila, mezcal, lavender, grapefruit and vanilla bitters. You’ll never want to just slurp down a shot of Tequila ever again.

Migrating south from its New York City lair, Major Food Group’s newest outpost of the famed Italian restaurant is not just there for the food; it’s also pouring classic cocktails like the mojito, mai tai, whiskey sour and old fashioned. A standout on the menu? The margarita, made with orange and cinnamon to give it a sweet, zesty interplay.